Herman Weil (1842-1878) left Germany in 1858 for America, living in Baltimore before settling in Wayne County. He served in the Confederate Army prior to opening in 1865 H. Weil & Brothers general store with his siblings Henry (1846-1914) and Solomon (1849-1914). Their company thrived and their interests soon extended to real estate, banking, coal, oil, cotton, ice, and a brickyard. Upon Herman’s death, the family created a park in Goldsboro named for him, the first of many local philanthropic efforts